Technologies for Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) have been emerging in recent years with the aim of enabling a mobile terminal or other communication node to switch from direct wireless connectivity to a service provider network to indirect connectivity through a fixed access device that is within the range of the mobile terminal. The fixed access device may be located in a residence, business, or other location and may include a residential/business gateway that has a broadband connection to the Internet and provides a radio link to the mobile terminal (e.g., Wi-Fi wireless access point).
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional network system 100 that can support FMC services. The system 100 includes a broadband network Gateway (BNG) 100, a Radio Access Network (RAN) 105, a packet data network Gateway (PDN GW) 110, a broadband packet data network 120 (e.g., Internet), and can include other network elements. In the example system 100, end nodes, such as the source node 130, can establish a radio link to the RAN 105 using one or more wireless communication protocols, such as the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), to communicate data packets through the PDN GW 110 and packet data network 120 to other nodes, such as the destination node 140. Alternatively or additionally, the source node 130 can also establish a radio link to the BNG 100 using, for example, WI-FI (e.g., IEEE 802.11) or WiMAX, to communicate data packets through the BNG 100 and packet data network 120.
The PDN GW 110 provides packet data connectivity between the node 130 and the packet data network 120 and serves as an anchor for node mobility between 3GPP and non-3GPP radio connections, and can perform policy enforcement, packet filtering, and/or charging support for all traffic flowing from/to the node 130. The PDN GW 110 assigns a home Internet Protocol (IP) address (e.g., IPv6 address) to the node 130, which is included in the header of data packets sent from/to the node 130. Irrespective of whether the node 130 establishes a connection through either the RAN 105 or the BNG 100, all data packet traffic flowing from/to the node 130 is routed through the PDN GW 110 responsive to the home IP address.